San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-01-11

| IOlu now every tnlng uOne TOT MIN was a
pleasure.-no work, no toll, but pleas
ure.-and Lady Gerton fully believed it.
You do not often see men of Mr.. st.
Johns class here, i should imagineY'
she said.
And Bonnie Doom told her, with the
light of love shining in her eyes, that
there was no one like him,-that in all
her life she had seen no one like him.
He has spent good deal Of time
with you, no doubtp" she said.
And Bonnie Doom told her how he
liked to see the pigeons fed, and how he
helped always TO gather the fruit.
The wise woman of the world smiled
to herself as she listened. 1t was Just
as she had suspected, just as she had
thought, and once more she congratu-
lated herself that they had come in
time. Every word from the girls lips,
every flush Of her beautiful face, -every
culver Of the perfect lips,-every break
in the tender voice,-every CLEAN in
the blue eyes told the same story. She
loved him with all her heart.
By dint of most adroit questioning, so
managed as not 10 alarm her. Lady Ger
ton elected something like the truth
that Eric s tim had been spent with her,
and that she-,lh VIII. little need to tell
how much she loved him.
"DO you tank" said Lady Gerton,
facing her suddenly, ''that this compan-
ionship Of a handsome and accomplish
ed gentleman has been good thing for
you? You are very sensible, but it
would have made some girls quite dis
satisfied with men of their own ideas"
And Bonnie Doom only smiled. This
grand lady. who spoke with such
ha,, tn Of nf
class" did not know that her lover had
clasped her in his arms and had called
her his beautiful love-"
Lady Gerton looked at the beautiful,
happy face. Time was passing. She
must give the death wound soon-soon.
TUey were going back to town tonight,
and the drive WIS long one. She had
brought her there to break her heart,
and it must be done.
Wait until they reached the shade; it
would seem doUbly cruel out here in
the sun. Wait. too, until they reached
the garden chair, the rustic bench that
answered as such.
"Will you rest?" said Lady Gerton.
81 am tired; | am not used to these
long walks" and Ruth sat down by her
de on the pretty rustic bench that
Laurence Rainton had helped to place
there.
The time had come. but it was wo-
mans hand that held the sword, and
that woman drew back and faltered.
1t must be done. While the beauti-
full blue eyes looked round on the smil-
ing scene, she prepared her words.
81 am very glad" she said, Ito find
Mr.. st. John so much better. take
great interest in him, because Lady
May is my cousin"
She might have spoken Greek for all
that Bonnie Doom understood. Lady
Gerton looked at the sweet unconscious
face; the light of love and happiness
was still there. This time the blow
must be decisive.
Lady May Carleton and Mr.. st. John
have been engaged for some time" she
said. They will be married early in
the next year; that makes her so anx-
lous."
1t had fallen; there was strange 81
lence. Lady GertOn turned her head
aside as though she were watching the
blue pigeons. She meant in all kind
ness to give the girl time to recover her
self: the silence was broken. She was
afraid to turn round and look at her-as
one is afraid to look on the face of
murdered man-and the silence grew
deeper ,stronger:itseemed even to world
" Lady Gerton that the very air around
her throbbed and thrilled with pain.
The kindest thing after all would be to
talk on as though there was nothing ex-
traordinary in her words.
The marriage would have taken
place at the end Of this year, she con-
tinued, but for this unfortunate illness;
but hope Mr.. st. John will soon be in
perfect health again.
Oh, Heaven! it was enough-enoughl
A great gasping sigh came from the
white lips, and then Lady Gerton turn.
ed slowly to the girl. To the day or
her death she will never forget the ter
rible change; all the color had died
away from 1t; there was none left in the
trembling lips; the light had gone from
the blue eyes; the whole face was full
of black, indescribable anguish and des-
pair; the sword had gone home.
Lady Gertons heart shrank, worldly
wise though she was, when she saw the
white despair Of that young face. She
went on talking, hoping that Ruth
would recover herself, but no sound,
after that one gasping sigh, came from
the white lips. ,
Lady Gerton began 10 leei alarmed;
what II really sne had injured the glrl!
but then, size hau done rlgnt-sne ougnI
to know. 1t was not fair; Eric 81.
John was Lady May s lover, ana thls
Irritation was not Ialr OF JUST 10 her III
the least. So Lady Gerton sat silent for
a Few minutes, tnen she Salu, as II the
matter were not OF the least moment,-
II Will 60 and gamer a rev OF those
late roses"
She knew we'll tnat the girl cOulQ